( OPEN POST )

[peaked]

OPEN POST!

pick a character or pick a character you know i play that i forgot i play — whatever works. leave me a prompt! if you write me a starter, i'm cool w prose/brackets, idc just no maths pls. lmk if you're cool with prose and/or brackets. shipping: m/f, f/f. au, what-if, fix-its, gen, game continuation, cross-canon!!!!, etc. memes i like: body heat, stuck in the rain, picture prompt (not the texting one), soulmate, otherwordly, word association (!!!). one of my cats will tag u. PROMPT IDEAS: MY WISHLIST | PIC PROMPT | RANDOM DIALOGUE | RANDOM SENTENCES | OTHERWORDLY

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[manipulative]

[ she doesn't want him to leave even though she wants to tell him to go. katherine doesn't want to be alone but she wants to be without company. it's a push/pull she's always struggled with over the centuries and it stems from her lifestyle.

that lifestyle doesn't exactly suit being a human.

after a long pause, she keeps staring up at the ceiling. ]

I need to get to New Orleans. I think there's someone who can help me.

[prescind]

A witch?

( that's who he thought she'd go to when he'd been trying to find her. and it's probably the best bet on figuring this out. )

We can go to New Orleans. I've got some places along the way that we can stop at that I've built up during my life. So, we don't have to always stop at motels.

[manipulative]

[ accepting his kindness is very, very hard for katherine. she looks like she's trying to figure out the best way to turn him down until she realises she shouldn't. if he's going to help her and make it comfortable for her, then… who is she to say no? ]

It could take weeks.

[ so… he has other things to do, evidently. is he really going to erase his calendar for her? ]

[prescind]

Okay.

( he waits for her to say why that's a problem for her because it's not a problem for him. )

I've got time.

( and maybe he wanted to be away from mystic falls for a little while so he could breathe. )

[manipulative]

[ she inhales deeply through her nose to steady herself from wanting to sharply ask him why. why does he want to help her so badly? why does he want to give up so much just to help her after everything she's done? katherine knows not to look a gifted horse in the mouth too much. ]

If you want to go back to Mystic Falls at any time, you'll have to find another car.

[ she's keeping his car until she sees this through. perhaps a part of her wants to have a reason to go back and gloat. ]

[prescind]

Any reason you stole my car specifically and not some random person's?

( that just seems targeted, like she wanted to get his attention for some reason. )

Damon's was right there too.

[manipulative]

[ she scrunches up her face as if she's tasted a lemon. ]

I don't like his car and I don't like his company.

[ it's as simple as that. katherine has briefly weighed up which brother she would tolerate chasing her and there's some poetry to it being stefan. it doesn't matter to her that it's exposed she had a plan to be followed—she knows both salvatores love their cars a scary amount and only one was bound to follow her, anyway. ]

[prescind]

( he laughs, a quick exhale and then shakes his head. )

Were you expecting me to come after you?

( since she'd apparently been judging who'd be better company for her. )

[manipulative]

It's what you do, Stefan.

[ she looks at him with a rather open expression. while it may reveal her vulnerabilities in hoping that he would be coming after her, it's who stefan is. she'd much rather take his car than damon's. his company is at least palatable. ]

You ride in on your steed and rescue people. I don't need to be rescued, I need to be cured.

[prescind]

I'm not here to rescue you, Katherine.

( his words come out slightly sharper this time and he shakes his head. )

I'm here to help you. That's it, that's all. No matter what ulterior motives you think I have, you're wrong. I'm here to help you.

[manipulative]

[ pushing herself up to sit on the bed, she stares down at him. ]

Why?

[ she arches her brows pointedly at him. all she wants to do is pin him down with her glare as if she's an actual vampire capable of physically overpowering him again.

she's still right; he wants to save her. he wants to be her hero. why else would he be here, offering to help her? sometimes, she wonders if he can actually help himself. ]

That's the one thing I can't figure out.

[ no matter what he says, she still won't be happy with his reasoning. ]

[prescind]

Why do you need a reason, Katherine? I'm here, I'm here to help you and isn't that important?

( why does he have some specific reason to be here? )

I'm here, Katherine. Let me be here.

( let him help. )

[manipulative]

[ because everything comes at a price. being taken under klaus' wing had cost her life and trying to help stefan and his friends had cost her vampirism. she never gets anything for free, it's a lesson she learned a century into her long, immortal life.

she wants to tell him that, but she doesn't think he'd understand. someone's clearly knocked him pretty sharply on the head. ]

Fine.

[ she's reluctantly letting him in. she shows this by lying back down on the bed, hands clasped on her chest as she peers up at the ceiling.

shrugging, she mutters, ] I still don't know why you'd waste your time, but it's your time to waste.

[ bitterly, she thinks, at least he has it. ]

[prescind]

( stefan sighs, rubbing a hand over his eyes and through his hair before he peers down at her. )

I'm sorry you hate it so much but I'm here. And I want to help so stop arguing with me.

( he'd leave if she asked him to. )

Now, I'm going to get us something to eat that's better than chips. If you run off and take my car, I'll find you again. Just so you know.

[manipulative]

[ she rolls her eyes, even though she does enjoy the promise of him tracking her down. no one has cared enough to do so. ]

Fine.

[ she ensures to say it grumpily, still not looking at him. on second thought, she is hungry. she hasn't had anything decent to eat since breakfast, and that had been in the early hours of the morning. ]

Whatever you're getting, I want the side to be a salad.

[prescind]

Fine.

( he could do that. he rolls off the bed and onto his feet, straightening his shirt and looking over at her. )

What kind of dressing?

( it's such a mundane conversation to be having when nothing about this situation is mundane. )

[manipulative]

[ although katherine knows she should look away, she doesn't. he gets off the bed and she eyes that patch of skin his rumpled shirt exposes, and she remains on the bed while her heart thumps in her chest. ]

None.

[ she feels like being plain today.

she glances down at his pants and says as innocently as possible, ] Perhaps you can go to the liquor store and get some wine, too.

[ she plans on getting as drunk as a skunk. ]

[prescind]

( stefan's not even surprised that she'd be difficult. he just sighs before nodding. he'll get her a salad with no dressing and he'll get wine. )

Okay.

( he starts towards the door and has his hand on the knob before he stops and turns to look at her. )

Please don't leave.

( and then he slips out and is gone. )

[manipulative]

[ katherine remains where she is when he gets up. she watches him and averts her gaze to the ceiling when he turns to look at her. she gives him no reply.

his request leaves her feeling very awkward and disarmed, and even though she had thought about going for a long, long walk… she doesn't. the last thing she wants to do is upset stefan even though his feelings are not her priority any more.

instead, she pushes herself off the bed and decides a shower is in order. if she was a vampire still, she'd be able to smell him in there. however long he takes, that's how long she showers for. no matter how hard she scrubs, she still can't get the icky feeling of being a vulnerable human off her. ]

[prescind]

( stefan doesn't take very long. he ends up getting them some sandwiches, fries, a salad for her, and some wine.

soon enough, he's walking back in the door to an empty room. he frowns but then he hears the sound of the water and relaxes.

while she showers, he works on setting the food out on the bed so she can take her pick of what she wants. )

[manipulative]

[ of course, she can't hear him when he returns. she can't hear anything but the loud rushing of the water from the showerhead and her own heart racing. it'd be frustrating if she didn't think he'd take his time in fetching dinner.

the shower turns off seven minutes after he's returned. she isn't quiet behind the door, padding around loudly and (accidentally) slamming a cupboard door.

opening the bathroom door, she steps out with wet hair and a towel wrapped around her body. she appears surprised when she sees him. ]

You… actually went and got wine.

[prescind]

( at her appearance, stefan looks over and gapes for a second at the fact that she's only wearing a towel before he looks away, cheeks flushed. he clears his throat. )

You asked for it.

( so yes, he'd went and gotten it. )

It might help calm you down a little.

[manipulative]

[ katherine's unsure. she tugs on her towel where it's tucked in and wrapped around her, and she ensures not to look at him. ]

Thank you.

[ the words are quiet and feel very weird coming from her, but she lets herself say it and moves on by walking to the bed and sitting down on the edge. ]

We should've gotten a room with an actual table.

[prescind]

We can make due.

( he spreads out the food a little more on the bed and then gives her a glass that he'd picked up on the way. drinking wine out of plastic cups isn't very elegant but it'll do. )

Wine?

( he holds up the bottle. )

[manipulative]

[ she nods. briefly, she thinks she'll have to moderate her intake of wine… and then she decides to fuck it. she's human, she's lonely, and she feels like she's wearing the wrong skin. if she ends up drunk, she ends up drunk. it won't be the worst thing in the world.

biting her lip for a moment, she brushes her wet hair over her bare shoulder and picks up a sandwich, ignoring her salad and bites into her. ]

Sandwich is nice. I'm surprised you know how to pick them.

[ it's a gentle tease. she wants to feel like herself again. ]